Improvement in water-meters



waited i stime uent @Mita A. W. ALMQVIST, AND F. W. OFEL'DT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent N 100,964, Adated March. 22, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-METERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of 4the same To all whom it 'may concern.:

Be it known that we, A. W. ALMQvIsT and F. W. OFELDT, of thecity, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improved Water- Meter g and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same reference being had tothe accompanying drawings forming a part of this specitication.

This invention relates to certain improvements in water-meters in general, but especially in the Almqvistand Ofeldt meter,77 patented by us J auuary the 19th, 1869; and

Itconsists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the various parts, as will be hereinafter described.

Figure l1 represents'a side elevation of our improved water-meter, p artly in section.

Figure 2 is acont-ral section of the same, taken through the line y y, of iig. 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical central section through the line a; x of fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a face view of the register and device for operating the supply and discharge valve.

Figure 5 is a cross section of the said valve through the line z z, 2. Figure 6, side view of the valve proper.

Figure 7, plan of the ydisk to which the inner end of the said valve is p ivcted.

Figure 8, edge view of the register-supporting plate.

remaining objection, viz: the indurability of a rubber diaphragm is mainly duc-to the fact that it is made to work too heavy valves with too large a stroke, those of the working parts in direct contact with the diaphragm also being acted upon by only a small portion of the said diaphragm, thus exposing said por- 'tion to a greater, strain than the remaining surface,

and thereby causing an increased unequal tension all around, and radiating in din'iinishing ratio from one point. For the same reason it is obvious that molding the rubber diaphragm in the ysame shape 'as the inside, of the body ofthe meter, purporting to aliow of a largestroke without straining the elasticity of the rubber, does not overcome this last objection.

To remedy this, we make the inner form of each of the two halves 0f the outer shell or body A, (fig. 2,) of the meter of the shape of a cone or a spheric segment, the height of which is about one-tenth, not exceeding one-eighth of it-sbase, reducing thereby the stroke accordingly to one-fifth, not exceeding onefourth of the diameter of the meter.

Our meter forfive-eighth inch pipcis thirteen inches in diameter by t-wo and one-half inch stroke, (stroke thus less than one-fifth of the dia-meter,) supplying one half gallon for every single oscillation.

)Vith such a small stroke 4the diaphragm B need not bc molded in any bulgcd form, but we make it of a straight sheet, quite thin, and insert it by hanging it between the two halves A,(the latter being placed perpendicularly a little apart,) and then clamp it between the flanges a by pressing the parts A together and inserting the bolts.

.Lhcdeviation from the center line or, (iig. 3,) being only one and one-fourth inches, or one half ofthe stroke, the elasticity of the diaphragm will not be exerted to any perceptible degree, as its own weight would cause it to swag that much, were it placed horhole to the rock-shaft D, said shaft 1) ,being punched through to receive the screw c.

1n working the meter, the frame C, at the end of the stroke, will be in the position shown in g. 3, the

.elasticity of the frame C allowing its center to travel to the end of the stroke, while its edge, or the ends of its radial project-ions, remain alwaysin theliue ov, drawn through the center of the whole meter, and also through the center of the rock-shaft bearings.

4The frame C thus acts as and may properly be called a perforated metallic diaphragm, rendered water-tight by means of the rubber covering B.

For convenience sake, the rubber covering B, in figs. 1, 2, and 3, is madeof two sheets, and inserted as described, but we prefer molding the rubber covering ou and around the metallic diaphragm C, (see lig. 11,) leaving a ring or tube of rubber surrounding the radial projection, which is attached to the rockshaft D at the point C', (tiff. 1,) where the metallic ring E is inserted in said rubber tube for packing between the iianges a of the shells A of the meter.

One great objection to water meters has heretofore `been the difficulty ci' keeping them from leaking through the stuffing-boxes necessarily used. Even the best stuffing-boxes have to be renewed at least once every year; besides that, in order to be tight, they involve an additional amount of friction, which requires greater pressure or head of water to overcome in working a meter.

In our meter we use'no stuffing-born The valve-chest I is one piece of casting, having ducts 'L M N O communicating with the passages M' 0' in the parts A of the meter, (said ducts and passagesbeing all formed by cores in casting the metah) for the purpose of admitting and discharging the fluid.

Said valve-chest I is provided with two lugs I', through which it is secured by bolts to the body of the meter, a sheet of rubber being interposed for packing. i

The valve-chest I is bored out in its center to receive the cylindrical valve H, which is pivoted to a disk, H', a little larger in diameter than the vale H,

v and held tirm and water-tight between a shoulder in the valve-chest I and the packing interposed between said valve-chest and the body A of the meter.

The other pivot and bearing for the valve H are the. valve-rod h andthe solid lid or outer''end I of the valve-chest I, through which said valve-rod li.'

connects with the device for operating the valve H.

In order to dispense with a stuffing-box and yet prevent leakage around the valve-rod h', there is formed` ou the valve-rod h', at the'point nearest to the cylindrical valve proper H,a device, 11,'f preferably conical shape, working on or in a corresponding surface in the part 1" of the valve-chest I.

The valve h is pressed against its seat with a force proportioned to the area ot'ci'oss-section ofthe valverod hf, which force is suicient to secure its tight working under high pressure, but to hold it close to Aits seat, even under the lowestppressure, a; spring, S,

is interposed between the inner end of the valve H and the disk H', as shown in the drawing.

The rigid ,arm J, attached to the rock-shaft D, and provided with the arched and iianged cross-head K, (as described in our patent of January 19, 1869,) we have improved by making it adjustable.

For this purpose we make it'divided nearly up to i its hub,(as seei1.inatig.4,) fermingthe-arms j and j,

having lugs j2 and j, both of which are drilled through, and one ot' which is threaded to receive the screw j, by loosening or tightening which the iianges k k may be made to remove from or approach to each other, thereby decreasing er increasing the stroke respectively, and regulating the capacity of the liquid contained for each stroke to the utmost precision, and obviating the necessity of adjusting it with the tile, as we have done heretofore.

0n the opposite or inner side of the arm J is` formed on the plate Q, which plate is supportcdby the rock-shaft Dpassiug through a hole in the hub `Q" of tlv plate Q, said hole being large enough to allow of he free motion of the shaft I) without moving the, plate Q with it.

On the back of the plate Q, between each successive hubs Q', are formed little curved projections q.

r is a projection on the lower part ofthe plate Q, intended toprevent it from swinging with the movement of the shaft l), by being held in position in a notch orr similar contrivanee attached to the casing, shown in iigy1.

Passing through the hubs Q', and holding the wheels of the register I, are the indices p', each of which consists merely of a wire with the pointer at..

taehed to its outer end, and having a hole in its inner end close to the back of the plate Q. These holes are drilled at, right angles to the direction'of the pointers.

After the register-wheels and indices have been placed in position, an elastic steel or brass wire, q', is drawn through the said holes, resting on the projections q between the index-pins p. This wire serves for two purposes, viz: l

First, it prevents the pointers from turning,there by allowing the registering tobe indicatedv by the number on its wheel, which, as the wheel revolves, passes opposite to the end of the corresponding pointer. s

Second, the wire q being held in tension by the projections q, ou the plate Q, pulls the index-pins p inward, which presses the wheels of the register against the face of the hubs Q', thereby producing enough of liietion to prevent the wheels from turning in the wrong direction when the pawl R has dropped one tooth and retires to catch another.

For accessibility in building the meter, the rockshaft D is bent, as seen in fig. 1, and inserted inthe journal boxes T, at the same time as the diaphragm C, after which the bearings U are put on from the ends of the shaft D, until they lodge in the boxes T.

The square boxes T are formed on the two parts of the body A of the meter in casting the same, as shown in the drawing, and 'provided with small stops tt at the upper edge, to prevent the bearings U U from being lifted out of the boxes T, and, at the same time, to allow the inserting of awedge at the space t between them to prevent any lateral movement of the. bearing, if necessary.

To insure the easy working of the shaft, as well as cheapness, and prevent any friction from rust, the bearings U are lmade .of wood, and dipped in oil before heilig put on the shaft D and inserted in the boxes T T.

X, is a hole for a screw plug at the upper flange of the meter, to be closed after the water has expelled the air when starting the meter.

Y is a similar hole at the lower flange for emptying when not in use.

Having thus described our invention,

That we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a metallic diaphragm a triile less-in diameter than the interior/diameter ot' the body or shell A, flexible throughout its ,whole extent, and covered with rubber or equivalent water-proof material, with the rock-shaft D and body or shell A, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the device h with the cylindrical valve H, both revolving upon the same axis, ,but working against different surfaces in the same valvechest I, substantially as shown and described, for the purposes of dispensing with astufiing-box, preventing leakage and reducing friction.

3. The combination of the continuous wire q with the projections q on the plate Q, and with the indices p', for the double purpose of preventing said indices ti'om turning, andat the same time, by its tension, produce thenecessary friction between the registering-wheels and their hubs on the plate Q, as described. f

4. The device for adjusting the measurement, viz: the combination of the arms j and 7" with the screw ji, as described.

5. The peculiar manner described and shown of attachingthe plate'Q for the purpose of avoiding any lateral strain on the rock-shaft bcaringsvin working the register.

The above specification of our invention signed by `us this 27th day of February, 1869.

A. W. ALMQVIST. F. W. OFELDT. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. NASH, CHARLES NIDA. 

